Avocados have become popular perennial favorites in the fruit and vegetable department. But: When it comes to sustainability, their reputation is bad! No more half-knowledge: What's wrong with the avocado's image as an eco-sinner?
Is avocado consumption bad for the environment?
On bread, as guacamole, in salads, bowls or sushi – for many people it is hard to imagine life without avocado. She's hip, she's THE photo motif for food bloggers. The avocado is also full of healthy ingredients.
But: It traveled miles to reach us, was laboriously cooled - a real CO₂ sin - that's what they say again and again. You also constantly hear about the high water consumption of popular tropical fruits. This is particularly true in growing countries where drought prevails and water is a rare commodity.
- But is avocado consumption really so reprehensible?
- Is organic better?
- And are there perhaps countries from which I can buy avocados with complete peace of mind?
The ecological balance of avocados is critical
Avocados travel far and therefore produce more CO₂ emissions than local fruit. In addition, the avocado tree needs a comparatively large amount of water. This is particularly critical in growing areas where there is not enough rain and additional irrigation is required, such as Chile or Peru. And the avocados from Spain, which is comparatively nearby, also have a shorter journey, but they also have to be irrigated there.
Unfortunately, organic doesn't make any difference when it comes to greenhouse gases and water consumption. The only advantage here is that no chemical sprays may be used. After all, this is better for biodiversity and also for the local workers.
But surprise: the avocado is not as bad as it might seem at first glance! In terms of greenhouse gases, the butter sandwich with cheese is significantly worse than the trendy avocado bread. In relation to other popular foods, the avocado isn't doing so badly: bananas, pineapples, everything that comes from far away has a comparable CO₂ balance - the apple from New Zealand does even worse, winter tomatoes from German greenhouses even significantly worse , not to mention animal products.
What should you pay attention to when buying an avocado?
There are also a few things you can pay attention to when buying to further improve your ecological balance:
- The origin: According to the WWF, from a water consumption perspective, you should avoid avocados from Chile and Peru and instead use avocados from the Dominican Republic, Colombia or Ecuador.
- Avocado, like all exotic foods, should not be a staple food, but should remain an occasional treat.
- A thrown away avocado has the worst ecological balance! But with avocados in particular, it is difficult to know the right time when they are ripe and delicious. We give tips on storage and shelf life.
Further links:
- Guido Reinhardt, Sven Gärtner, Tobias Wagner. IFEU Institute. (2020): Ecological footprints of food and dishes in Germany
- Tanja Dräger de Teran. WWF Germany. (2021): Water consumption and water scarcity
- World Avocado Organization. (2022): The Avocado's Water Consumption Is Proportional To Its Incomparable Nutritional Value
Author: Anne Kabacinski
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